The Spark
by ChatterBOXX
Summary: His world was filled with dark temptation as a means to combat the harsh realities of life. With his current path, his life was leading to disaster until one man takes him in and offers him a key to salvation. In this coming of age tale, one turtle learns to unlock their potential in order to change the course of their life. Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is created.
1. A Change in the Air

**The Spark**

**Chapter One: ** A Change in the Air

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_I am not the owner of the Ninja Turtles._

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With shaking hands, wandering eyes, labored breathing, and twitching fingers, Fox swiftly grabbed a handful of organic red apples and stuffed them silently into the over-sized pockets of his coat. He waited for the world to end. For the hand of his father or oldest brother to smack the back of his head with righteous zeal. The fruit stand owner to grab him by the neck and shake the stolen goods out of him. NYPD at least.

Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing.

No one came, no one grabbed him, no one shouted, no one noticed. It was just himself standing in front of some fruit stand, one of the many at the bi-monthly farmer's market feeling like a complete idiot. It was a miracle that no one had noticed what he was doing; he was no expert.

He remembered the advice that his brother, Skull, had given him a few days prior. "Act natural and look like you are just browsing the merchandise, like you are thinking really hard about what you want to buy. Don't be afraid to touch and smell stuff, throws them off your trail."

Sure.

The advice was easier said than done. So there he stood, smelling, inspecting, and looking perplexed at the various stands filled with various produce and other yummy products that people had labored over and were selling looking to make a honest wage. As he kept up this act, he was sneakily stuffing his pockets full with food.

Skull told him that it was okay to do this. Their family was suffering. Due to slight food shortages and increased prices, their father, although he tried very hard, was not able to provide him and his three other brothers with enough food to survive comfortably. They were growing boys and ate constantly. As he stole, going against all the teachings his father had bestowed upon him, he was surprised that nothing happened. Just like their suffering in the sewers of New York, the world continued and took no notice.

Life goes on.

He quietly moved to the next stand. He stuffed his pockets with carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, and bags of handpicked mixed nuts. His movements were swift and calculating and he made sure to keep constant visual on the rapidly changing environment.

His brother Skull filled him with good advice, and he got the feeling that he may have been a semipro at shoplifting. "Hey, make sure you grab Leo's coat. It is bigger on you and his pockets are large. If you wear that, it won't look like you are holding anything."

Strawberries, a bag of dried blueberries, miniature oranges. One by one, he grabbed fistfuls of goods and stuffed them deeper and deeper into his growing pockets.

Looking up, he could see Skull weaving in and out of the meat stands grabbing a fish or two at one, a small chicken at another, and a small container or eggs at another. His bright red sunglasses and confident smirk were clear despite their distance.

Potatoes, kale, broccoli.

He saw Skull make his way to the entrance of the farmers market where they kept all of the baked goods, and he knew that that was his cue to hurry up and leave. Before their "mission," he was told that they were going to grab two loaves of bread each off the cart. He was supposed to follow the lead of his older brother and grab the bread without stopping. His brother emphasized that point countless times. No one monitored the cart, so it would be a piece of cake. They cleared the cart and grabbed two steaming large loaves of bread without slowing down. He waited for someone, anyone, to stop them. Two thieving oddly dressed children who were robbing innocent people. No one came, and the world, just like them, kept on moving.

Outside of the farmers market, the cool air sent chills down their spines as they sped walked away. Beads of sweat rolled down his face, pooling at the base of his neck. He couldn't believe what he had done. Once they made it to the end of the street, they broke into a dead sprint and didn't stop till they made it to the manhole cover that would lead them home. The laughed, whooped, and galloped, feeling free and valiant because even though they broke many rules and laws, their family would survive another month. They lifted the cover, and quickly climbed down the metallic ladder and welcomed the warm moist air the sewers provided them.

They laughed and Fox welcomed the approving pat on the back of his shell. They pumped their fist and shouted into the darkness while pointing fingers towards the surface world, mocking its inhabitants and their lack of observation and intelligence.

"The city is our, its all ours!" Skull shouted while spinning in a valiant circle.

"The city is ours?" Fox said, turning to his brother with questioning eyes,

"It sure is, bro. If we, a couple of kids, a couple of mutated freaks can walk up in there and take a crap load of stuff right under their stuffy big fat noses, we can do anything and everything. We have nothing to fear and nothing or no one can stop us. We are not babies anymore!"

Smiling from ear to ear, Fox shouted and yipped with glee.

They were not babies anymore. They just had their eleventh birthdays, and were ready to tackle the world head on. They noticed that the fears they used to have were diminishing and people were not as large as they used to be. Their father was not as intimidating, and they were slowly gaining the courage to do things they had previously dreamed about. Groundings, spankings, timeouts, and scolding's were not weapons anymore. Their code names, Skull and Fox were symbols of their abandonment of childhood. Words could not express the changes that were taking place within the lives of these two boys.

Fox noticed the change the most in his older brother. His brother would boldly defy any form of authority. He would proudly talk back to their father and their oldest brother. He would intentionally break rules and test boundaries. To the rest of our family, he is still known by his birth name, Raphael Hamato, but as he bravely roamed the sewers and the streets of New York stealing candy, food, or whatever he deemed useful. To Fox, the immediate younger brother, he transformed into his codename, Skull.

Fox didn't have the same nerve as Skull, and he knew that the changes they were experiencing were taking them to different places. He was not sure where they were going, but he was for certain that they were not where they used to be. The events that took place in the farmer's market were only the start of many. In their future, the two young boys saw bigger stores, vandalism, cars, late nights from home, and freedom.

Since they were new, new to this life, new to the changes, new to their shifting world, they decided to go by their new names...

Raphael Hamato became Skull, and Donatello Hamato became Fox.

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**A/N: Wow...it has been a while...I can't believe how long its been since I've posted on this site. I am going to use this summer as the opportunity to finish those stories that troubled me, and begin new ones that I have been itching to write. What do you all think of this story so far? Please read and review, and as always, constructive criticism is welcomed.**

_~CB_


	2. A Taste of the Future

**The Spark**

_Chapter 2:_ _A Taste of the Future_

I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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Carefully climbing down the last few steps of the grimy ladder that served as a one of the main access points to the lively surface world above, Fox landed swiftly onto the damp cobbled floor below. His heart raced, his hands trembled, and sweat was dripping down his eagerly grinning face yet again. He looked at his older brother with admiration filling his youthful eyes to the brim, and marveled at how calm Skull was given the feat that they accomplished

They were in their hideout yet again, sweaty, hearts racing, breathing heavily, and letting the large amounts of adrenaline leave their trembling young bodies because they had successfully shoplifted a large amount of items from the local convenience store. Skull decided that they needed to switch up their normal routine. To him, it was not challenging enough because, let's face it, a farmers market does not offer the highest level of security.

Smiling triumphantly at his younger brother, Skull straightened out, confidently grabbing the lapels of his worn tan overcoat. Leaning into Fox, he coolly whispered, "D'wanna see what I boosted from the store?" His brother's silent and eager nod was all he needed and he opened his jacket grinning at his Fox's gasps of shock and awe.

Hiding under his over-sized overcoat, like their identities, a secret from the world, were two large cloth sacks that served as the inner lining of his coat. The two other pockets were attached to these large inner pockets causing whatever to be put in them to disappear into a place that only Skull, and now Fox, knew about. It was a clever idea.

The cloth sacks bulged and Fox for the life of him could not understand how his brother was able to move so casually because from the sheer sight of the bags alone, he knew that his brother was being weighed down with various treasures.

It took Skull a good twenty minutes to empty his pockets and separate the goodies into neat piles. Fruits, vegetables, breads, pastries, soups, candies, juice packets, meats, supplies, and various other items all found their way into his possession. Every item was categorized and put into its respected pile. From there, he decided what was going back to the lair for their family, and what was going to stay in their secret hideaway.

"What did you manage to swipe, bro?"

Hesitantly Fox began emptying out his coat pockets. The thought of sewing extra cloth to the inside of his jacket to create deeper pockets never crossed his mind. He was only able to grab what the pre made pockets of his trench coat could carry, and he knew that the amount paled in comparison to his brother's. Slowly, he began digging his hands into his pockets and grabbing the items. One by one, he laid them out on the ground below. When he finished he was disheartened by how small his pile looked and avoided eye contact.

"Hey," he felt his brother rest a hand on the back of his shell, "you did great, this is the most stuff you have ever snagged!"

The two boys sat staring at each other for a few moments. Skull reached over into his pile and grabbed a butterfingers candy bar and offered it to his younger brother. With a mischievous smile that was so characteristically his, he quipped, "Wanna celebrate?"

So there they sat, sitting side by side in their secret hideaway on worn bean bag chairs that they looted from the dumpster. They munched on the various treasures they acquired from a hard days of looting while sharing stories and bragging about close encounters with employees and other humans that may or may not have happened. As the candy pile slowly diminished, in their eyes, their future was beginning to taste a bit sweeter. They talked about what they were going to do when they returned home, while also working on the story they were going to tell their family about how they yet again acquired their loot.

"I am so tired of living at home, there are so many rules. When I turn fifteen, I am going to leave," Skull huffed.

"You can't leave; Master Splinter will never let you. I'd never leave."

"Sure he will. I am just going to walk right up to the old rat, look him square in the eyes, and tell him that I think his rules are stupid, the homework he makes us do is stupid, the training sessions are stupid, and that Leo is stupid. Then I am going to walk right up to Leo and punch his teacher's pet self in the face."

"You wouldn't dare," Fox gasped.

"I sure to would dare. Then after that I am going to get a motorcycle or one of those expensive cars, like a Mercedes, or a Mustang, or a Bentley, and I am going to ride until I see the other half of the world. Then I am going to take whatever I can from wherever I can and then I am going to find myself a giant house to live in. After all that is done, I am going to buy the world's largest box of pizza and eat it all by myself."

"A whole box of pizza by yourself?"

"Yep. Every single cheesy slice."

"Wow, that sounds like some plan," said Fox with a hint of admiration at his brothers bravery in his voice, "hey, it's getting late, we should probably start heading back to the lair, we don't want anyone to get suspicious."

With that, the two brothers gathered up their belongings and solidified the story they were going to tell their father. This time, they were going to convince everyone that they acquired all of the food and supplies from a local church and food bank.

As they walked, Skull rambled on about what he was going to do as soon as he turned of age and what he wanted his ideal future to look like. He was tired of hiding, tired of being tucked away underground like some hideous monster. He loathed the surface world but at the same time he wanted to be a part of it. To cause havoc, taste adventure, or create ripples in the monotonous stream, Fox was unsure.

"I know you wouldn't, but what would you do if you left the lair?" Skull questioned his younger brother.

The silence that followed was painful, and Fox didn't quite know what to say. He had never put any serious thought into leaving because he knew that the sewers were probably the best place for his family; they didn't know anything else. He wanted to be more adventurous like his immediate older brother, but at the same time, he knew he was not quite as brave yet. He had never imagined himself anywhere else other than where he was in this present moment, and that thought scared him a little.

"I don't know," he said.

"Well, you can always tag along with me," chirped Skull.

Stopping at the front door of their home, Fox turned around to face his brother. His brother's face was filled with complete compassion and sincerity. He knew that joining Skull as a "partner in crime" was the obvious choice for his older brother, but for him, he wasn't so sure. He thought about his offer for a moment and scrunched up his face into deep thought. He didn't know what he wanted to do, but he knew that he wanted to please his brother. Placing a tender hand on the front door, he looked over his shoulder and said, "Yeah."

Pushing the door open and disappearing into the soft golden glow of the home, he left his brother behind to decipher what exactly he meant by his response.

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**(A/N) **Here is chapter two of _The Spark_, and I hope you all enjoy it. Please _read and review_! Constructive feedback is always welcomed.


	3. Solace in Solitude

**The Spark**

Chapter Three: Solace in Solitude

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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Bare cupboards were a constant factor in their life, and Fox had grown accustomed to them. Sighing as he looked at the dwindled amount of supplies that scattered the empty shelves, his mind was flooded with images of half eaten carcasses on the "African Safari" tour he watched on Animal Planet weeks prior. The scraps that were left behind on the thin makeshift wooden shelves shared a striking resemblance to the half eaten remains on the bones of the fallen animals who had became the victim of the vultures.

"My son," said a worn voice which he immediately identified as his father, "please tell me again where you and your brother acquired all of this food."

He was still standing in front of the pitiful cupboard silently stocking its empty shelves carefully with goods. Without hesitation or a second thought he answered.

"We got the food from a food bank."

"A food bank," his father questioned warily, "is this the same food bank that you and your brother visited the last time we were in need?"

"No, that was Saint John's on 21st avenue," he said nonchalantly, "we went to Saint Mary's today. We thought it was much safer."

He could feel his fathers analytical eyes staring holes into the back of his shell, looking for any signs of remorse or discomfort. The young boy continued to fill the shelves, maintaining the same slow and steady rhythm. Lying was becoming second nature to him. His older brother was teaching him well, it was an art form that he had mastered long ago. They had to lie, because they knew that their father would not approve of their methods. Even if their thievery was keeping their family alive. Still, he could not believe that it had already been a month since the first time they robbed a store. It was getting easier, less terrifying, and the guilt he once felt was starting to dissipate. Through his eyes, their actions were justifiable. The businesses in theory were not losing much money, and their lives depended on it. If humans could get assistance from the government, why couldn't they steal from governmental industries to maintain their existence? The injustices and double standards in the world did not make much sense to him.

It had also been a month since his older brother, Skull, had asked him to join him with abandoning their family the moment they turned fifteen. His brother had not pressed the matter further since that night he left him at the entrance of their lair. However, he knew that his brother thought about it from time to time. He could see it in his defiant eyes. His brother had constructed a lifestyle for them both, and he wanted to ride it as far as they could go.

"Donatello," his father spoke much more softly this time, "though I appreciate the initiative that you and your brother are taking during this dire time, I would feel more comfortable if you and your brother ceased such these places of assistance could draw unwanted attention to you both and the family."

"Well," Donatello snapped, turning around to face his father for the first time, "

I would rather risk getting caught trying to help my family instead of sitting idly by while everyone starves to death."

He meant what he said. Times were harder for their family. He stared his father directly in the eyes, mimicking the way his older brother often did. He was terrified at defying his father and disobeying his wishes, but deep down, he knew his father needed their help now more than ever, and he was in no position to deny the steady flow of edible goods. He could tell by the way his father's eyes softened, that he knew there was no stopping the two boys. Slowly turning around, the aged rat quietly stalked off.

"Sometimes, my son, I wish you would just understand. Please hurry with your task, your lessons will start soon."

What exactly he was supposed to understand, the young turtle did not know, but before he could question the matter further, his father was out of sight. Sighing, he shoved the last container into the cupboard, and jumped gracefully off the countertop. Landing softly to his feet, he stretched while admiring the his work. The food was so neatly arranged and organized and the young turtle could not help but feel a sense of pride form in his small chest. Their efforts were keeping the family alive, who wouldn't feel a sense of accomplishment about that?

Yawning, and turning on his heels, Fox began heading towards the the section of the dojo that was deemed the "classroom" while it was not in use for training. He was the last one to arrive, and he could only assume that his older brother Leo was the first. He was a very punctual individual.

Sighing, he plopped himself down next to his baby brother Mikey, the only available spot that was left. Mikey tried to initiate small talk, but today, Fox was not in a talking mood.

"Thank you for getting all that food, Donny!" Mikey chirped with glee.

Internally shuddering at his brothers use of his "real" name, Fox smiled and nodded in his brothers direction. At least someone was grateful.

As their father passed out their work books, he couldn't help but roll his eyes at the lesson simplicity. They were supposed to match words from one column to their synonym in the next. Fox never understood why he had to waste his time on these activities, but he humored his father and did it anyway. He was done with the entire book well before his other brothers had moved past the first page. He wasn't concerned with busy work, he young mind was too preoccupied with tackling bigger questions and ideas. He liked to tinker, he loved finding his own truths, but the reality of their hidden lives made the young boy's natural gift difficult to cater to.

Raising his hand, he asked his father if he could be excused. After Splinter carefully looked over his sons work, he gave an approving nod, and Fox was on his way. He walked past the bedrooms and the family areas. He kept walking until he reached his secret nook in the corner of the lair that could only be accessed by moving the large stone that covered it. Squeezing through the small entrance, Fox carefully replaced the stone back in its original spot. It was in this place that he felt safe to be himself. There were no questions asked when he was in his space. There were no eyes looking at him, there was no suspicious glares or guilt.

Grabbing the flashlight that he stored in the corner of the little room, Fox clicked it on. Soft yellow light illuminated the surroundings, and he silently crawled to the far corner where he kept his most valuable treasures. It was no surprise that one of his most prized possessions was an worn and dated encyclopedia from who knows when. The books was in bad condition, he found it in the sewers after all. However, to Fox, what the book lacked in looks, it made up for in content, and its vast collection of data, facts, and information was stimulating.

Curling to his side, and opening the book to where he had last left off, he quietly began to read through his encyclopedia for the hundredth time.

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**(A/N):** Here is another chapter to _The Spark_. I hope you all like it. It is a bit different, and not like anything else I have written. I wanted to explore other styles of writing, so please, be patient :P! Please read and review. As always, constructive criticism is welcomed.

-**Peace**


	4. Deliverance

**The Spark**

Chapter Four:_ Deliverance  
_

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

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The sounds of frantic breathing and hurried footsteps filled the narrow alleyway. Sharp turns, dead ends, and debris made running very difficult for the two boys. Fox looked over to his left and quickly assessed the agitated face of his brother. He watched as Skull's eyes frantically searched for something, anything that could help them, but as the seconds quickly passed, their situation was looking hairier.

Good, they were both feeling the same thing.

Statistically, it was bound to happen, and Fox was surprised that it did not happen sooner. They had robbed so many stores and farmers markets; it was only a matter of time before they got caught. That is how they ended up in their current predicament. They were caught stealing food and spray paint from a high end convenience store in an upscale part of town. They were not familiar with this area which made escaping even more difficult.

"Quickly, there are those two punk kids!"

Glancing over his shoulder, Fox eyes widened as he saw the three security guards in hot pursuit. By their red angry faces, exposed teeth, and long string shouts of profanity, even a stranger could tell that these men meant business. These guards were not the typical fat-asses that normally decorate stores. Fox noticed that these men were actually in shape, and were slowly closing in the gap between him and his brother.

"What are we going to do?" Fox quickly asked, his words drenched with panic. He knew the dangers of being captured, and did not want to think of the fate of him and his brother.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit." Skull exhaled and he pumped his arms faster to increase his speed. Looking around frantically, he locked eyes with his younger brother. "I know that you are not going to like this idea," Skull hissed, "but we need to split up. When we get up to this next alleyway, you go right, and I will go left. Run until you reach the next corner and then quickly get your ass into the first shop you see and hide. We will meet at the old hotel on fourth street in an hour."

Before he could object, the split in the alleyway appeared and Skull shouted at him to run as if his ass was on fire, so he did. Fox had never ran that fast in his life. He couldn't hear anything. The sound of his heart pounding filled his ears and his mind was locked onto one goal. His feet and legs were like the wheels of the locomotives he read about in his encyclopedia. Powerful and designed to crank out as much power and speed as possible. He imagined himself barreling down steel tracks, destroying everything that got in his path.

Over and over again he kept repeating his brothers instructions. When he reached a corner, he sharply turned and smiled in relief. The area was densely populated, and there were numerous shops that would offer a decent place to hide. Weaving in and out of the pedestrians, Fox quickly sprang up the steps to one of the more older looking buildings, and ducked away inside. Running to the far corner, he hid behind a shelf which offered him just enough room to wiggle in.

"Where did that little punk get off to?' He heard one of the guards in his pursuit shout near an adjacent window.

"Lets go find that other one, come on!"

Moments passed, and the only thing that Fox could hear was the hustle and bustle from outside, and his own breathing. Sighing in relief, he let his head fall forward. He had never had such a close call before, and he knew that he would do anything to prevent that from happening again.

As his brother instructed, he waited. However, the curiosity of knowing where exactly he was hiding became too much, and he slowly wiggled out of his hiding spot to explore his surroundings. As he looked around, he could not help but to gasp. The shop he was in was filled with books. There were shelves of all shapes, colors, and sizes that were weighted down with various types of reading materials. As he weaved in and out of the wooden structures, his eyes widened in complete awe. These books were not damaged, in fact, they practically looked new. The young turtle had no idea how long he walked around the shop, but his eyes immediately fell on one book in particular.

The book was entitled _Absolutely Everything That You Need To Know About Anything_, and he knew that he had to have it. Its beautifully bound pages and thick stature made his mind race with the possibilities that lied within its pages. Reaching up and gently lifting the books off its shelf, Fox neatly placed it in one of his deep pockets in his jacket. As he turned away from the shelf, he was surprised to run into a very tall man.

"What do you think you are doing young man," the figure questioned, and Fox immediately felt his stomach drop to the floor. He escaped one situation just to find himself in yet another. As he looked up at the man however, he noticed that he was wearing thick black sunglasses indoors.

"Nothing," Fox replied softly, trying to sound as innocent as possible, "I was just looking around at all of these books."

The man smiled, never making direct eye contact with him and said, "Well, I would sure hope so young man. This is a library of course, why would you be in here otherwise?"

A library. He hid inside of a library.

He had only read about libraries before in his encyclopedia. Fox never thought he would actually be able to visit one is real life. He was in awe, that explains the large quantities of books.

"However, I must ask, why are you trying to take one of my books young sir?"

Oh. The man did see him. Guiltily, he reached into his pocket and stared at the book that he tried to steal. Shifting from one foot to the other, he mumbled, "It looked interesting. I like books with a lot of information."

To his surprise, the old man smiled. I know exactly what book you are talking about. You must be interested in reading _Absolutely Everything That You Need To Know About Anything_. That book was one of my son's favorites when he was a young one. Its filled with a lot of information about various topics.

Silence passed between the two individuals. The old man, which Fox assumed was the librarian cleared his throat and softly asked, "would you like to borrow this book young man?"

Fox stared up at the mans unmoving face in disbelief. He couldn't believe that the man was offering to let him borrow the book after he just tried to take it. He was confused, and this offer did not make sense. Staring down at the thick book in his hands, he could not resist the proposition and eagerly whispered yes.

The librarian smiled and stuck out his arm to Fox. The boy quizzically looked at the mans arm, shocked by the gesture.

"Young man," the elderly librarian boomed, "in case you have not noticed, I am blind. I have been for the past year or so. When I heard someone enter my shop, I left the front counter area without my cane. May you please take me there so that I may check this book out to you?"

A blind man. Fox had never met anyone who was blind before. He couldn't help but to sigh in relief. The man was standing extremely close to him, yet he didn't have to worry about his identity. Quite frankly, he thought it was rather ironic that a man who was blind worked in a store that catered to the sighted. However, he wanted his book, and would do anything it took to have it. Gently, he grabbed the man's arm with his free hand, and slowly walked him back to the front counter where he sat down.

"You have very large hands for a young man," said the old man, chuckling as he sat down in his chair.

"I get that a lot, I think I inherited them from my father," said Fox, rolling his eyes at the obvious lie he just told.

Clearing his throat, the man rummaged around his desk. When his fingers touched the object he was looking for, he smiled in with satisfaction. "Seeing as you tried to steal this book, I think it is safe to assume that you do not have a library card. I am going to issue you one. With this card, you will have access to all of the books within this library, and you will be allowed to even check out up to seven at a time if you wish.

The man held out the thin slick plastic card for Fox to grab, and then returned to his desk. He rummaged around for a few more minutes, and then handed a black pen to Fox.

"Now young man, what is your name?"

Fox was quiet for a few seconds. He wasn't entirely sure if he was supposed to give that much information to a human. However, he has already spent this much time in close proximity to this man, and he was completely harmless. He saw no imminent consequences.

"My name is Fox," said the young turtle, standing up straighter and clearing his throat.

Moments passed and the library fell completely silent. The librarian slowly rotated in his chair and for the first time, looked in Fox's general direction.

"Now son, I have been very patient with you so far. I would like to know your real name, not one of those made up names you kids give yourself just to sound cool."

Fox shifted uncomfortably on his feet, and whispered his name.

"What was that young man, I could not quite hear that. I do not speak mumble."

"My name is Donatello," he shouted, probably a bit too loud, but he wanted to make sure he was heard this time around.

The old man smiled and leaned back into his chair, stroking his scruffy face. "Donatello, like one of the great renaissance masters. What an excellent name. I am assuming that you go by Don or Donny for short?"

"You are correct sir," he said, clicking the pen in his hands.

"Well, good. You can call me Ed. Now, if you look on the back of the library card that I just handed you, there is a spot where you need to manually write your name in. Please write your real name and not goat, or sheep, or pig, or whatever hogwash name you tried to feed me earlier."

"Yes sir."

Sighing, Fox, did what he was told. He carefully wrote his birthname on the back of the library card, and placed the pen gently on the counter in front of the man. He felt chills. Signing his name on the back of the card made him feel powerful. He had access to something that he could only dream about in his safe place. He hugged the book closer to his chest as he looked back at all of the books, waiting patiently for him to read them.

"Now Don," Ed said softly, inching his way to the edge of his counter, "the library offers those who wish to use it a chance to access vast amounts of knowledge. In here, you can go anywhere you want to go, or be anything you want to be. I am going to allow you to check out that book you are holding onto for dear life. You may keep it as long as you feel is necessary. Please come back and visit any time you wish. I'd like to see you around every now and again. The hours are posted up outside."

With that, Ed smiled, and Fox could not help but to smile too. He thanked him and quickly exited the library, holding the book, his book, to his chest. Slipping the book into the waistline of his pants, and hiding his library card in one of the pockets on the inside of his belt, he quickly ran in the direction of fourth street. For the first time in months, a genuine smile made its way to his face and he ran faster than he had ever ran before.

He was no longer tired or sore. He felt energized and free. In his mind, he now had access to all the information in the world, and his vision became brighter. He had somewhere to go, another space that was his. Filled with books, both old and new, that contained many secrets tucked away within their bindings. He was a new person, and he had never felt so alive.

When he arrived to the rendezvous point, He saw his brother and quickly ran towards him. He still had that goofy smile on his face, which caused Skull to look at him with a look of complete confusion.

"You alright there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What took you so long," Skull questioned, crossing his arms.

"I got lost. I made a wrong turn somewhere and I had to ask for some directions."

"Fair enough," Skull said, as a sly grin slowly creeped up on his face, "come on, we have to get home before this sparring session. I don't want Splinter kicking our asses for missing another one."

With that, the boys took off running to the nearest manhole cover, grins plastered on their young faces.

Skull was happy because he finally evaded people affiliated with security and safety. To him, it was a big fuck you to the justice system. He rebelled against laws and order, and came out victorious. Nothing, in his mind, could stop him now. He fought the law, and he won.

Fox was happy because for the first time in months, he tasted freedom. He felt direction and purpose in a world where his existence did not fit the equation.

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**(A/N): **Here is another chapter for **The Spark**. I am very happy with the direction the story is taking, and I hope you all do as well. This chapter was a pleasure to write, and I hope it is a pleasure to read.

**-Peace**


	5. Erudition or Tradition?

**The Spark**

Chapter 5: _Erudition or Tradition?_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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Fox had a love-hate relationship with their ninjitsu training. The young turtle understood the practicality of it, and that it was a familial tradition of some sort. He knew that training kept their bodies young, agile, and lethal, and that if anything were to happen, they could take care of business. However, training also meant that he had to endure hours of not being as physically gifted as his other three brothers. Training also meant that he couldn't spend time alone doing whatever he wanted to do in his quiet crawl space.

Today was no different.

As he attempted a new aerial kick that their father had just taught them, he fell unceremoniously onto his shell for the fourth time in a row. Laughter from two of his three other brothers filled the dojo, echoing off the walls like a the metallic balls inside of a pinball machine. Looking over to the sidelines where his brothers and father were sitting, he felt a familiar warm sensation creep up on his face as he sat there in shame. Mikey was on his back rolling with laughter while tears of joy streamed down his young face. Skull tried to hold back his giggles, but he was failing miserably. He didn't blame those two for laughing, his attempts were too pathetic for their sympathy. Leo sat in silence, with a look that combined both disappointment and amusement.

The reaction of his father made him the most uncomfortable and insecure. His father sat in silence, his face blank, eyes emotionless. If Fox didn't know any better, he could have sworn that his father was staring through him, probably looking for a son that could perform as well as the other three. After minutes of enduring the embarrassment, his father finally stood.

"Boys," he yelled, facing the three young turtles on the sidelines, "enough!"

His loud voice chocked the laughter immediately, making everything fall silent. The world seemed to stop in that moment. They all knew that their father meant business. Mikey slowly moved into a seated position, and Leo quickly straightened up his already perfect posture. Skull tried to look unfazed, but even he still shifted uncomfortably under their fathers firm gaze. Slowly, their father moved away from the sideline to the center of the dojo where Fox sat, still in the same awkward position that he landed in.

His father stood above him, looking down at the tangled mess that was his son. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, he silently motioned for the young boy to move to the chair that rested off of the mat.

Sighing, Fox pushed himself into a standing position and bowed to his father. Walking towards the edge of the mat, he turned and bowed again. Sitting down the the chair, he pulled his knees up to his chest, and rested his chin on his knees.

He was in the chair of shame, as his brother Mikey liked to call it, and he was done for the days session.

He watched as his father motioned for the other three to attempt the kicks again. Fox couldn't help but feel jealousy, they were all remarkable. Mikey was the first one to attempt the kick and he got it perfectly on his first try. He was a natural athlete, and really thrived when it came to physical feats. His agility, speed, and, and grace made everything he did seem effortless. If he was more disciplined and focused in practice, he would be an even more phenomenal ninja.

Leo was the second one to master the kick. It took him a couple of tries. He is a perfectionist, and always had been. He thinks about every move to is last detail, even the most simplest. Once he mastered the kick, the beauty and power in his form was unmatchable. As he landed after another perfect execution, he slowly bowed to Master Splinter who returned a bow to Leo.

Skull was the last to execute the kick perfectly, and there was a fierceness about it. It was still slightly sloppy, and did not have as much finesse as his other two brothers, but making things look pretty was never his first concern. Like their robberies and looting, Skull was always about making things quick and effective.

As he sat, and watched his brothers succeed at every task their father threw at them within their first attempts, the image of the book that he checked out from Ed at the library worked its way into his thoughts. He remembered every detail about the outward appearance of the book, down to every scuff or mark, even the smell.

Closing his eyes, he smiled and mentally thumbed through the pages that he already read. He felt his heart race as he remembered the chapter on electricity word for word. He loved learning about how electricity is measured in amperes, but when there is potential electric energy the measurement is converted to volts. He hugged his legs tighter as he recalled one fact about electricity that surprised even him. In the book, there was an image of the world taken from space. Under the image were facts about the speed of electricity.

Supposedly, electricity travels 186,000 miles per second, which was pretty dang fast!

He smiled, while letting one of his legs dangle off of the chair. Looking at his foot, he was yet again lost in deep thought. If I could travel that fast, Fox thought, calculating to himself, in theory I could go possibly run around the world 8 times in the same time it takes to flip a light switch. Smiling as his mind buzzed with information, he didn't notice that his father was steadily moving towards him. He had already dismissed his other three sons for the day.

It took his father shouting his name five times before Fox realized he was being spoken to. Sheepishly, he looked up at his father straightening himself up.

"Donatello," his father spoke softly, "this is exactly why I wanted to talk to you. You have been awfully distracted lately, and I am afraid that it is starting to make itself apparent in all aspects of your life. You are missing at most meals, you daydream during your lessons, and today," his fathered sighed, closing his eyes and resting his hand on his furry temple, "you came no where near executing the kick."

Looking away, Fox muttered under his breath, annoyance slowly working its way into his mind.

"Did you have something to add, my son?" his father questioned.

"Maybe I just suck, father" Fox spat, heated. He didn't want to be reminded of his shortcomings, he was already aware of them. If this was going to turn into a laundry list of ways he could improve sort of discussion, he wanted no part of it.

He just wanted to get back to his book.

He wanted to go back to his crawl space and read until his eyes gave up on him. He wanted to learn. His mind was a well that was nowhere being filled. This book, as well as the others in the library offered him gallons of information that could quench his everlasting thirst.

"My son," the rat exhaled clearly exhausted, "you are not as bad as you think you may be. I feel as if you compare yourself to your brothers a little too much. You all have your strengths as well as areas that need improvement."

Fox looked away as his father placed a gentle hand on his tense shoulder, "please try to make tomorrow a better day. Be attentive in everything you do so that you can unlock the potential that I know is within you. You are dismissed"

Stiffly standing up, Fox gave his father a quick bow, and hurried out of the dojo. He raced past his fathers disapproving glance. He wanted to put as much distance between himself and the lurking guilt that clung to the air. He ran past Skull who quickly reminded him of their plan for tonight. Stiffly, he nodded towards his brother and told him he would be ready. Moving again, he didn't even look over his shoulder when Leo and Mikey asked him to join them on the couch for a movie. He kept moving, fleeing from everything with one destination in his mind.

Once he reached his crawl space, he quickly pushed the rock aside and crawled in. Hastily, he set it back in its place. Flipping on the flashlight, he hurriedly crawled to the farthest corner of the small room. Laying on the pile of blankets, he silently grabbed the book that Ed let him borrow from his library, and opened it to the chapter that he had yet to begin. Looking at the page, he became disheartened. The words written on the page were not making sense, and the frustration that had been building up in his body for years decided to make its debut. Biting down on his quivering lip until he tasted a thick coppery liquid, he fought to breath. The air felt dense and scarce, his chest felt heavy. Focusing on understanding the words, he began to slowly make out the title between his bouts of gasping.

This chapter was entitled _Nuclear Energy. _He heard about nuclear energy once or twice before, and fought hard to begin the first paragraph. Tears welled up in his eyes and freely crashed into the thin pages. The pitter patter of his tears raining down on the book and his short gasp filled the small room in a pathetic melody.

As he read and fought to breathe, he felt incredibly alone and cold. An irrelevant speck in a desolated wasteland. An individual who couldn't relate, with no real purpose in life to accomplish. His efforts were fruitless, and the execution of every task that he tried to complete left disappointment and destruction in its wake.

Pulling his knees closer to his chest, and bringing the book closer to his wet face, Fox dove head first into the words that filled its pages. Letting go of everything, he let his mind immerse itself in the bountiful information. The facts surrounded him, lifting him up to a realm of complexity that needed to be understood. He felt reality slipping as he desperately tried to absorb every word the book had to offer him.

He could do this, this was easy. This was his life, hidden even further from the world than his family. His life alone, tucked away in a corner where the mysteries of the world could be explored in depth.

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Fox woke up to the sound of his small alarm beeping. Rolling to his side, his face smacked into the cold wall. He forgot that he had fallen asleep in his crawl space. Picking up the book that rested in his hand, he carefully marked his place, and placed it gently to the side. Crawling out of the small room, he quietly tiptoed to his bedroom. Throwing on his pants, shoes, trench coat, and hat, he slowly made his way to the entrance of their home. It was the middle of the night and everyone was sleeping. Skull thought it would be better for them to leave without anyone knowing because it would cause less of a commotion. He was tired of Splinter questioning their actions.

Once he exited their lair, he saw Skull sitting on a pile of discarded crates off to the side. He was playing with a lighter. Opening the small metallic machine, and having it fall shut with a loud metallic click. Once he saw Fox emerge from the shadows, he smiled.

"For a second there, I thought you chickened out," he said with a smirk.

"Sorry, I overslept."

"Thats fine," Skull said patting him on the shell, "you ready?"

"Yes."

"Alright, then what are we doing here standing with our thumbs up our asses, lets go!"

The two boys ran. They knew that time was never on their side. Their father and oldest brother were early risers, and they had to be back in the lair before they awoke. The sounds of their footsteps bounced off the walls of the sewer, echoing into the seemingly endless darkness. As they reached the ladder that would take them to their destination, the two young turtles climbed up to the surface world in silence.

The streets of New York city were dead, which was ironic because it was supposedly the city that doesn't sleep. As Skull looked around, Fox watched him and waited for his instructions. Noticing a large billboard that was anchored to a building, Skull whistled and pointed. Fox nodded and obediently followed behind his elder brother as they carefully scaled the building. Wordlessly, they arrived to the landing and were within arms reach of the blank canvas.

Skull reached into his deep pockets and pulled out two cans of spray paint that he looted from the convenience store where they blew their cover. Tossing one of the cans to Fox, he smiled that mischievous smile that had been appearing more and more lately.

"You remember what you're supposed to do?" Skull questioned.

"Yeah, I do," Fox replied flashing a small smile.

"Remember, this one is the practice for the real big one later."

The sounds of hissing and shaking spray cans filled the air. The boys worked without speaking a word. After a few moments, Skull called Fox over to admire his masterpiece. Finishing up his tag, Fox stepped away smiling. He drew a Fox which was in a running pose with his name inside the tail. A fox is a quick animal, and that is how he thought of himself; quick. After he finished observing his work, he headed over to his brother's side. His brother spray painted an evil rendition of the Jolly Rogers skull with a crack running through the frontal part of the cranial bone, and his codename off to the side.

"It looks okay," Fox said admiring the work.

"What do you mean by okay?" shouted Skull crossing his arms, "I say it looks pretty fucking amazing!"

"Well, it would be amazing, but you spelled your codename wrong."

"Wrong, what do you mean I spelled it wrong," Skull spat, clearly annoyed.

"You wrote S-C-U-L-E; its S-K-U-L-L."

Skull glared at his little brother for what seemed like hours, and for the first time, Fox felt a little uneasy at his brother's rage.

"How do you know, huh?"

"I dunno," Fox said shrugging his shoulders, "I just know that is not how you spell it."

"Well if you don't know how you know, then how do you know that what you know is right?"

"I read it in a book."

"What?"

"I said I know because I read it is a book. If you don't believe me, you can go look for yourself," Fox stated throwing his empty can over the edge of the building.

"I aint reading no book," huffed Skull, "once they see this they are going to have to change the spelling anyway because this is the better way. It is my way."

"Whatever, suit yourself."

"Why are you reading books?"

"I dunno, I like 'em," said Fox, trying to hurry the conversation along. He hated being on the receiving end of his brothers interrogation.

"Well its stupid, and a waste of time."

"Yeah, I know."

"Then why do you do it?"

"Just because," Fox said while turning around and facing his brother, "shouldn't we start getting back now?"

Looking at the sky, Skull nodded in agreement, and threw his can as far as his arm would let him. He quickly climbed down the building, Fox following. The two boy admired their tag from the street and quietly entered the sewers without a trace. They were silent on the way to the lair, each lost in their own thoughts. Once they reached their home, they said goodnight, and went their separate ways. Skull headed to his room in an attempt to get some last minute sleep, and Fox headed to his crawl space where he opened his book. He was nearly finished, and a painful empty feeling was beginning to form in the pit of his stomach. He didn't want this book to ever end. In the middle of reading a paragraph on thermal energy, he quickly shut the book and crawled over to the pile of his own personal books. Digging through the stack, he pulled out an anatomy text book, and flipped to the section about the human skeletal structure. Smiling to himself, he closed the book and returned to the one that Ed let him borrow.

He was right, It was "Skull" not "Scule".

Giggling in the quiet comfortable room, he continued his personal quest for knowledge. Tugging on the tail end of his purple mask, he sighed as he slipped steadily into his world of pure knowledge.

He loved it when he was right.

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**(A/N)** Here was chapter five of **The Spark**. I hope you all are enjoying it! This is a fun little story to write, and at times, even I don't know what is bound to happen.


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